A Moment of Balance & the High Holy Days

Hi Friends, 

Happy Autumn Equinox AND to those that observe Judaism, I hope you had a meaningful Yom Kippur and that your new year is feeling fresh and good. What beautiful and sacred times these are in both the Gregorian and Hebrew calendars. 

Autumn Equinox (the exact moment when light and the dark are equal and we tip towards the darker half of the year) falls at exactly 8:05PM EST tonight. And Yom Kippur, the final of the pairing of two High Holidays in the Jewish Faith, came to a close yesterday (September 21st) at Sun down. The High Holy Days which span a 10 day period called the Days of Awe, began with Rosh Hashanah at sun down on September 11th and culminated yesterday with Yom Kippur.

The High Holy Days are a time of reflection for observant Jews - a time to go inward, to reflect on the previous year - what is meant to be kept and what is meant to be released. Yom Kippur in particular is the day of Atonement (At-one-ment) which is a time of release, forgiveness and cleansing, bringing things back into balance before the year ahead begins. 

Similarly, Autumn Equinox is the moment which we shift into the Autumn season, which carries with it the energy of discernment, release and clearing. In the fall, in addition to soup and sweaters, we also can consider what we want to release, much as the trees release their leaves so they can be composted over the winter months. 

So perhaps if you feel called, at 8:05PM tonight you might pause and honor the magic that is the moment of perfect balance between light and dark. Take a moment to bask in this liminal moment between light and dark - Spring/Summer tipping into Fall/Winter. There is nothing to do other than to notice it right now and allow your system to follow the rhythm of the earth as we move into this season of release. 

Happy Equinox Friends. 

Love, Rev Dev